2001: Why Kubrick had computer HAL sing "Daisy"

[oblique strategies]

Ever wonder why? Well here's the answer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGsfwhb4 ... r_embedded

[liveISlife]

Take each letter from HAL and go one letter forward. What do you get? ...

[oblique strategies]

"A pervasive story is that HAL was so-named to indicate that he was one step ahead of IBM. Alphabetically "H" "A" "L" precede "I" "B" "M" by one letter.

The author of 2001, Arthur C Clarke emphatically denies the legend in his book "Lost Worlds of 2001", claiming that "HAL" is an acronym for "Heuristically programmed algorithmic computer". Clarke even wrote to the computer magazine Byte to place his denial on record.

But Clarke's protestations are unconvincing in the extreme. For one thing "Heuristically programmed algorithmic computer" is a contrived name that does not properly form the desired acronym. For another, most of the working drafts of the 2001 story had HAL named "Athena", and it would have remained so had not Clarke deliberately rechristened it. The chances of him randomly fastening on to the one name that mimics the worlds largest computer company are one in seventeen thousand.

Why would Clarke deny it if it were true? I can think of several reasons: perhaps Clarke invented it as an in-joke that became too public, and he didn't want to risk offending IBM who had provided much technical help for the film. Perhaps, human nature being what it is, he is having an elaborate charade with us, as did George Plimpton with his fictitious cobra bite [recorded in Harpers Magazine earlier this year]. Perhaps like Terry Nation, he just got sick of people asking about it. "

[stringtapper]

Bonus points to the one who can name the programmer at Bell Labs who programmed the computer vocals and the software named after him.

[dum]

Bonus points to the one who can name the programmer at Bell Labs who programmed the computer vocals and the software named after him.

I'm not sure.

[Pitch Black]

Bonus points to the one who can name the programmer at Bell Labs who programmed the computer vocals and the software named after him.

Mr. C?

[derzai]

Bonus points to the one who can name the programmer at Bell Labs who programmed the computer vocals and the software named after him.

"Daisy Bell" was composed by Harry Dacre in 1892. In 1961, the IBM 7094 became the first computer to sing, singing the song Daisy Bell. Vocals were programmed by John Kelly and Carol Lockbaum and the accompaniment was programmed by Max Mathews.

Never understood the ending of 2001 though.

[oblique strategies]

I had always thought that the use of the song contained the root cause for HAL going insane, & was a brilliant artistic invention by Kubrick.

The song lyrics are quite precise: "I'm half crazy, all for the love of you", which is exactly what happens to HAL: he goes half crazy all for the love of the mission, even to the degree of removing the humans to safeguard it.

It was as if there was lurking in the earliest programming of HAL, somewhere in his 'subconscious', the seeds of his aberrant behavior.

Frankly, the real reason has less dramatic impact for me compared to my conjecture. I love the idea the simple choice of a song could have such a profound effect.